Friday, April 12, 2019 3 Brooklin Town Crier "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 and published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com The Brooklin Town Crier is locally owned and operated and is a publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905.655.7642 Email: brooklintowncrier@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, April 26, 2019 Deadline: Thursday, April 18, 2019 Coming Soon To A Nearby "Theatre" Earthkraft: A Comedy By Richard Bercuson Last fall, a troupe of professional dancers and singers planned a Christmas show at our Brooklin Community Centre. But they couldn't fill one key role: Santa Claus. So the show was shelved till next year. No such requirement is needed though for Michael Kashmanian's comedy Earthkraft which will debut on Friday, May 3, at that same community centre, with six shows over a week. Kashmanian is the driving force behind the Beech Street Theatre Company that plans to make Brooklin its home for the foreseeable future. Having done a host of shows and dinner theatre performances in Bowmanville, restaurants, museums and even Whitby's Abilities Centre, this new group wants to bring its shows to the local stage. Investigated the centre A Brooklin friend familiar with Kashmanian's plays suggested he look into the old building on Cassels and Church Streets. He did and says he fell in love with the place right away. The show has been in rehearsal for some time and will move to the building on April 23 for its final preparations. Beech Street Theatre has always gone where most other such groups dared not tread: staging shows written exclusively by Canadians and mostly by locals. To that end, Kashmanian says he invites submissions which are reviewed by a selection committee. Kashmanian began in theatre in 2003 when he auditioned for a musical being performed in a local church, and not one he belonged to. He got the part which happened to be the one non-singing role in the show, that of Scrooge's nephew Fred. He enjoyed the experience so much, he decided to couple it with his love of writing and create his own shows. One, Dial M for Musical, sold out in ten days. He continued to perfect his playwright skills by taking courses and joining the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Churches that hosted his shows were given the proceeds as fundraisers. Dinner theatre If you've ever been to the Tuesday evening dinner theatre show Pigsville at Whitby's Nice Bistro on Brock and Dundas, that's a satirical Kashmanian show. "You eat at 6:30," he says, "the show's at 7:30 and it's done by 8:30. A perfect evening en- tertainment." That venue and most others he and his company have performed in are hardly typical theatre locales, something that appeals to him. "I love doing shows in places that aren't theatres: art galleries, Pickering Village Museum village, restaurants. The creative use of space is fascinating to me as a director." His shows, like Pigsville and Earthkraft, are largely comedies which he admits are his bent. Earthkraft, for instance, deals with themes about poverty and the homeless acting the way they believe rich people act. Chock full of lusty, satirical statements about modern life, he says it's a show that's already had some success, having been staged a few years ago. A more detailed synopsis is available at bstconstage.com Tickets will be available at the community centre door but seating is limited to about 60 per show. He urges theatre-goers to buy them online (@$27 apiece) by going to the company web site: bstconstage.com. Earthkraft's dates and times: May 3-8 pm May 4-2 pm and 8 pm May 10-8 pm May 11-2 pm and 8 pm Another Successful Durham Farm Connections More than 1,100 Grade 3 students from across Durham Region attended Durham Farm Connections, an educational program that meets Ontario curriculum requirements and allows students to be farmers for a day. The three-day event, held April 2 to 4 at Luther Vipond Memorial Arena, included live animal displays and hands-on demonstrations by local farmers. This included dairy, beef, poultry, sheep, maple syrup, vegetables, apples and crop stations. A Durham Region farmer was at each station to speak with students and answer their questions. "For 14 years, Durham Farm Connections has provided interactive opportunities for students and residents to learn about local agriculture in Durham Region," said Brian Bridgeman, Commissioner of Economic Development and Planning. "Each year the program does an amazing job at showcasing the value of agriculture in our community and the local economy." An Open House on April 3 allowed the general public to learn about agriculture in Durham Region as well as get a first-hand look at local farming. With more than 975 individuals in attendance, the program was able to contribute 680 kilograms of food to the local food bank. "The Durham Farm Connections volunteer committee delivers a quality, interactive program. We would like to thank all 120 volunteers for their effort and dedication to this program. We are also grateful for the support from our local school boards, sponsors and agricultural organizations," said Nancy Rutherford, Manager of Economic Development, Agricultural and Rural Affairs. The Durham Farm Connections program provides agricultural education opportunities for both farm and non-farm communities in Durham Region. It has been recognized with an Ontario Premier's Award for Agrifood Innovation Excellence, as well as a Watershed Award from the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA). Durham Farm Connections is also the 2018 recipient of the Farm & Food Care Champion Award. Durham Farm Connections also organizes an annual High School Program that aligns with the Grade 9, 11 and 12 science curriculums, and focuses on agricultural research and technology. Tracy and Everett, age 2, with sheep 2018 Fair Ambassador Samantha Grandy w/Floss, 3 yr old jersey cow Saoirse, age 2, with Taffy the goat